Retirement Planning a Hot Topic for Employees in 2011

Retirement planning was by far the most popular financial topic among employees in 2011, according to an analysis by Financial Finesse.

Among calls to Financial Finesse’s help line, retirement planning questions accounted for 31% of the total in 2011, compared with 24% in 2010. Retirement planning was followed by debt management (14%), investing (14%) and budgeting and saving (13%) as the top areas of concern. In total, 62% of questions were related to long-term planning issues (compared with 55% in 2010).  

Despite the increased focus on retirement planning, retirement preparedness remains unchanged from 2010 as only 17% of employees indicated they are on track to replace 80% of their current income (or their own goal).   

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In 2011, employees reported reduced financial stress, with 19% indicating “high” or “overwhelming” levels of stress compared with 32% in 2010 and 33% in 2009. However, financial stress still remains a pervasive problem with 84% of employees reporting some level of financial stress. 

Ninety-two percent of employees said they contribute to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k), 457 or 403(b). Thirty-six percent feel confident that their investments are allocated appropriately.  

The Financial Finesse 2011 Research Year in Review report can be downloaded from http://www.financialfinesse.com/research-best-practices/.

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